Fonterra Begins CEO Search Following Miles Hurrell Resignation
Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell has resigned after eight years in the role.
Fonterra is closing a milk powder blending and packaging site in Hamilton, a move that will affect 120 jobs.
The co-operative says the closure of the Canpac site follows its decision to focus on higher value ingredients such as advanced proteins and medical nutrition.
The plant currently packs up to 4,000 metric ton of powders per year, less than 1% of the co-op's total product volume.
Fonterra's chief operating officer Anna Palairet says the co-op is committed to supporting the impacted employees.
The co-op is working through a consultation process, including exploring potential redeployment opportunities before operations are planned to come to an end on July 31.
Palairet says low product volumes and increasing complexities in production has created challenging economic conditions for the facility.
"It's been a tough day for all the team at the site. Making decisions like this is never easy.
"Our strategy is about creating end-to-end value and growing total returns for our farmer shareholders.
"We believe the best way to achieve this is to focus on our strengths and scale in ingredients and foodservice, and we are prioritising our investment on the parts of our operations that are better suited to this."
New Zealand's diverse cheesemaking talent shone brightly last night as the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) crowned the champions of the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards.
Tracing has indicated that the source of the first velvetleaf find of the 2025-26 crop season, in Auckland, was likely maize purchased in the Waikato region.
Fish & Game New Zealand has announced its election priorities in its Manifesto 2026.
With the forage maize harvest started in Northland and the Waikato, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is telling growers of later crops, or those further south, to start checking their maize crop maturity about three weeks prior to when they think they will start silage harvesting.
Irrigation NZ is warning that the government's Resource Management Act (RMA) reform risks falling short of its objectives unless water use for food production and water storage infrastructure are clearly recognised in the goals at the top of the new system.
More than five million trays, or 18,000 tonnes, of Zespri’s RubyRed Kiwifruit will soon be available for consumers across 16 markets this season.

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